Rain and cooler temperatures have reduced the wildfire risk in the Central Coast region of the province, so the BC Wildfire Service is rescinding the campfire ban in specific areas within the Coastal Fire Centre.  

Effective at noon on Aug. 25, 2017, the ban on campfires was lifted for public and private lands under the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction in the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine and the Central Coast Regional District, with the exception of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

The use of tiki torches and similar kinds of torches, outdoor stoves, gas stoves and other portable campfire equipment that is not CSA-approved or ULC-approved is now also permitted in these areas.

A map of the affected areas is available online at: http://ow.ly/pgoH30eGpeY

• A campfire ban remains in place for all other areas within the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, except for Haida Gwaii and the “Fog Zone” on Vancouver Island.
• The current prohibition on Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remains in place throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, except for Haida Gwaii and the “Fog Zone” on Vancouver Island.

A map of the Fog Zone is available online at: http://ow.ly/bCJc30caIul

A poster explaining the different categories of open burning is available online at: www.gov.bc.ca/openfireregs

Local governments may still have their own burning restrictions in place. Always check with local authorities before lighting any fire of any size.

Careless use of campfires can cause wildfires. The BC Wildfire Service urges people to take the following precautions with any permitted campfire:

• When building a campfire, select the site carefully and remove all leaves, twigs and other flammable material from the area.
• Create a fire break by scraping away debris right down to the dirt all around the fire.
• Use a fire pit or make a ring of rocks that is at least three metres away from trees, shrubs, structures and other flammable materials.
• Campfires must not be bigger than a half metre wide and a half metre high.
• Never leave a campfire unattended.
• Keep at least eight litres of water or a shovel close by at all times to extinguish your campfire properly.
• Make sure that your campfire is completely extinguished before going to sleep or leaving the area for any length of time. Pour water on the fire, dousing the site thoroughly. Stir the campfire until there are no embers left and the ashes are cold to the touch.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range from the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.

To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

• Twitter at: https://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo